Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

August 11, 2012

Thumbs up to Roslyn Eaton's reminder to her son, Ashton Eaton, moments after the young U.S. athlete won the gold medal in the grueling two-day Olympic decathlon this week.

As they were hugging on the sidelines just after he completed the final event, the 1,500 meter run, she reminded her son that the field of stars, the union, should be on his right when he draped the U.S. flag on his shoulders.

"I know," he told her simply.

It has been clear all through the games that U.S. athletes were schooled in flag etiquette. It was good to see them saluting the flag, with hand over heart, as it was hoisted aloft in medal ceremonies.

Of course we know athletes draping the flag on the shoulders violates proper flag etiquette, and surely we all see other violations every day - flag-themed clothing comes to mind.

But, still, it was a touching moment when Roslyn Eaton had uppermost in her mind making sure her son got it right when displaying the flag of the country he represented so well.

And speaking of the Olympics, a hearty thumbs up to the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena for booking a music/skating/gymnastics performance on Dec. 15 that includes Olympic all-around gymnastics gold medalist Gabby Douglas and her gold medal teammates Jordyn Wieber and Aly Raisman, as well as bronze medalist Danell Leyva and national champion John Orozco.

Tickets range in price from $45 to $279 plus fees and are on sale by calling the arena at 484-2624 or visiting jamestownarena.com. We understand there are a few seats still available, but you should not wait too long to order them.

We close out the week with a thumbs up and thank you to everyone who ever played in Westfield's Deutschmeister's Band. Founded by a group that took an adult education course together, the German-themed band has been a staple at parades and special occasions for 50 years. Members came from all of the county and shared a common determination to have a good time making fun music.

In recent years, the band dwindled to a dozen or so members, and so they have decided the Deutschmeister's Band has at last reached the coda.

Thank you, everyone, for the fun and good music you provided over the years.